Hawk's Night, Lantern's Light
by ObsidianJade
Summary: Shaeyra's eyes met his. "Your voice held me for so many nights, Lantern. Tonight, would you hold me for real?" GL&HG, Ch. 6 fluff! -PERMANENT HIATUS-
1. Histories brought to Light

Hi!  Welcome to the fictions of Onyx.  

Disclaimer:  I do not own the characters of Justice League.  They are owned by a number of people and companies, the number of which will not include me.  Onyx, however, is my character, and is not to be stolen, bought, sold, or otherwise infringed upon by any means.  If you want to borrow, ask nicely.  This demented plotline is also my property.  

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**HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT**

  
  


       *'Ow!  Get off my wing....'* Shayera's words echoed through her head, pulling her from blissful sleep to painful awareness.  Things were so much nicer when one was asleep...  

       "Ugh.  Ever since I got back from War World, he's been invading my dreams."  She paused for a moment, looking back and considering.  It was almost amusing, remembering the expression on Lantern's face when she'd expressed her dismay at possibly being stuck on the planet with him for all eternity.  

       *'Just the two of us?'  The expression on his face. Pain, regret.  'Oh.'  Turn, fly away, fly from him and the emotions he projected... Get away from the possibility that he might express his emotions, trap them both within them...*

       "I need a drink."

       A few minutes later, she moved down the hallway, weary but alert.  Her nightgown swirled around her, indicating air movement from some source.  The nightgown itself was relatively short, yellow and made of silk.  It was backless to accommodate for her wings, and tied behind her neck with two thin straps.  The bottom edge of the gown fell too mid-thigh, revealing an expanse of her smooth legs.  At this time of night, she had not expected to meet anyone, so her feet were bare, and she wore no robe.  Her mask was still in her room.  Without it, she was almost unrecognizable.  Certainly, no one would expect her to be Hawkgirl - if, of course, they didn't notice her wings.  

       The light was on in the kitchen.  Unusual, there shouldn't be anyone in there at this time of night... She moved to the kitchen at little more than a tiptoe, feet silent.  Someone must have heard her, though, because there was a muffled hiss from the kitchen and the light went out rather suddenly.  Alarmed, she reached instinctively for her weapon, only to find she did not have it...

       "Hawkgirl?  Is that you?"

       "Lantern?"

       "Yeah.  What are you doing up now?"

       "Getting a drink.  Or trying to.  What were you doing in the kitchen?"

       "I wasn't in the kitchen.  I think you'll find that was J'Onn and possibly Onyx."

       "Oh."  She glanced back at the door of the kitchen, then sighed and stepped through the doorway, scanning the kitchen with her acute eyes and ears.  Nothing, not a single thing.  

       "Empty," she remarked carelessly over her shoulder.  She could just see Lantern's silhouette enter the kitchen door, a quick movement of his hand, and the lights blazed on.  Shayera winced.

       "Sorry," muttered Lantern, and for the first time Shayera realized what he was wearing.  

       A pair of black drawstring pants, snug at the waist, straight-legged and looser at the bottom.  No shirt.  His chest was perfect as she understood the definition, broad and muscular with excellent definition to all the muscles.  His abdomen was tight and lean, chest scattered sparsely with curly black hair.  He was not wearing his ring.

       It took her a moment to realize that as she was studying, she too was being studied.  The expanse of sleek skin revealed by the nightgown was much more than her costume had ever shown, and  - oh, her helmet!

       "I've never seen you without your mask," came the neutral remark. 

       "The point of wearing one is that you don't see what lies beneath it."

       "You should loose the mask more often.  You look good without it."

       She turned to stare at him, startled, and he had the grace to look away.  "Uhm, where did you leave the hard stuff?"

       "I didn't have it last.  Check behind the false panel in the closet on top, to the right of the sink."  

       "Got it.  What do you want?"

       "Screwdriver."

       "Me, too.  Could you grab the orange juice?"  

       "Sure.  These always were my favorite.  Of course," he added, digging in the refrigerator, "when I was still in the Marines, we mixed these things using real screwdrivers."

       Hawkgirl chuckled.  She'd rarely heard John speak of his time in the military on Earth.  In fact, she'd rarely heard him speak at all.  Most of what was said between the two of them was accusatory shouts, arguments, and the like.  To have a conversation with him was...different, to say the least.  

       Setting the glasses and two containers on the table, she spared only a brief glance around.  J'Onn must have left that potted fern in there earlier.

       "You know,"  she remarked as she began mixing the drinks, "I kind of like getting to talk without the costumes between us."

       It took Lantern's cough from behind her to realize just how broadly that statement could be interpreted, and Hawkgirl blushed.  "Sorry, that came out wrong."

       "Did it?"

       She cocked her head to get a different view of him.  "You sure you haven't had anything to drink yet this evening?"

       "Positive."  He accepted the glass from her, took a swig, and coughed.  "You mix these things strong."

       "Fifty-fifty."

       "That explains it.  I go seventy-thirty!"

       "Can't hold your liquor, Lantern?"

       "Not by Thanagarian standards, I can't."

       "What's that supposed to mean?"  She leaned forward over the table, eyes flashing.  He quickly rocked back in his chair and raised his hands - his right still full of the drinking glass - to signal he did not want a fight.

       "Thanagar's a tough place.  From what I've heard, you learn to drink early and hold liquor no matter what.  Is that true?"

       Something behind Shayera's coldness collapsed, and brought the ferocity down with it.  Her shoulders slumped, and she gazed steadily at the drink in her hand.  

       "Shayera?  I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring up -"

       "No.  No, it's all right.  Yes, you're right about Thanagar.  It's tough, kill or be killed most of the time.  You don't learn how to talk, only to fight...  drugs, drinking, they're a way out for a lot of people.  I had to clean up a lot before I got into the police force as a detective, but even now, I can get carried away..."

       "I don't think one drink qualifies as getting carried away, Shayera."  

       "That's the problem.  It's never just one drink.  It's always two, three, four, more...  I can't help myself most of the time."

       John regarded her with sympathy shining in his eyes.  He knew what she was going through, knew it perfectly well.  He'd been there before.  

       "My life was hardly perfect, either.  I took my first drink when I was nine.  Beer, out on the docks.  Won my first fistfight at twelve, against a kid twice my size.  Broke his nose."

       Shayera glanced up, curious.  "Why?"

       "White kid, real jerk, called me a couple of racist names.  My buddy wanted to shoot him.  I said no, spare his life, but let him go through life being called Crooked or something like that.  So I broke his nose.  He bled all over my good jacket, too.  Dad whaled me for coming home with blood on my jacket."

       Shayera winced, saddened by the pain behind his confessions.  She'd been fortunate, she'd had a good relationship with her father.  Of course, he was often out of the house for his detective duties.  He'd been killed while she was still young.  

       "I'm sorry, John.  I never thought..."

       "Hey, it's O.K.  I've put most of it behind me.  Talking about it does help, though."  Ruefully, he glanced at the nearly-empty glass in his hand.  "Of course, so does this.   Tipping back his head, he drained the glass, coughing only once.

       However, he paused, looking through the bottom of the glass, staring at something in the corner.  

       "What?"  Shayera followed his gaze.  

       "How long has that been there?"  With his finger, he indicated the potted fern sitting silently in the corner.  

       "Oh, I think J'Onn left it there yesterday.  He has a green thumb, you know."

       "Actually, he has two."

       Shayera groaned, then laughed.  "You are terrible!"

       "Need a pillow to throw?"

       "No, I'm so impressed you have a sense of humor..."

       "You know, I've never heard you laugh before."

       Startled by the remark, Shayera stopped laughing and gazed sharply at him, her black eyes piercing his own - now a deep, chocolate brown.  Those eyes fell quickly below her gaze, however, as he dropped his head, ashamed.  

       "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."  Clearly pained, he rose and began mixing another drink - this one clearly heavier on the vodka than the orange juice.

       "You're going to have a hangover."

       "No."  John shook his head slightly.  "No, I'm not that lucky.  The instant that ring goes back on my finger, I may as well have been drinking water, for all the good it does me.  The ring energy completely purges alcohol from my system."

       "Wish I was that lucky."

       "Hey, you've got Onyx's detox formula - what the Hell does she put in that thing, anyway?"

       "Don't ask, don't know."  Shayera began mixing herself another drink.  John didn't remember her finishing the first.

       The cold stiffness in her shoulders indicated to John that he had, indeed, misspoken.  Whether or not she admitted it, she had been hurt.

       "Shay, look, I'm sorry..."

       "Why should you be sorry?  It was only honesty."

       "That's why.  I should know when not to say things."

       "Something we should both work on, I guess."  Head lowered, she turned away, wings lowered.  Pained.  "I'm going back to bed."

       "Shayera, WAIT!"  John jumped after her, catching her by the elbow as she reached the door.  

       "Let go of me, Lantern!"

       "No!  I don't want us to go back to the way we were, Shayera.  For a moment back there, I felt like we had something."

       "Well, you felt wrong!  Let go!"

       "Shay, please.  Don't do this.  Stop fighting me."

       "You're drunk, Lantern."

       "Maybe.  But if this is the only way my feelings get out in the open, so be it..."  He released her elbow and caught her chin instead.  Shayera didn't have time to react before his lips seized her own in a powerful kiss...

       When they left the kitchen a minute later, the potted fern in the corner promptly began to squirm.  Long palm leaves quickly became slender, muscular arms, lithe, powerful legs.  A torso and a head formed, a crown of disheveled ebony hair falling over the blazing green eyes.  

       "J'Onn!"  Swiping the hair out of her eyes, she unfolded her lean form.  "Martian Manhunter, you are going to pay for phasing out and leaving me in this kitchen..."

       The next morning, a meeting was called early.  Shayera found a small, corked bottle of Onyx's 'potion' lying in front of her door, and drank it with all due haste.  She showed up at the meeting on time and without incident.  John was already there when she got in, and she took her normal seat across from him.  Slowly, the others filed in. Superman took his seat at the head of the oval-shaped table.  Diana seated herself to his left.  J'Onn would sit to his right, when he got in.  The seat beyond J'Onn's was Onyx's - she did not once mention the fact she had left her potion for Shayera.  In fact, she avoided both Hawkgirl and Lantern's eyes altogether - challenging, since John sat to her immediate left, and Shayera almost directly across the table.  Flash, next to Diana and across from Onyx, was nearly asleep.  He'd been on monitor duty for graveyard shift.  Batman quietly seated himself opposite Superman, at the other end of the table.  

       "Where is J'Onn?"  Superman turned his gaze to Onyx, who promptly began studying the tabletop with greater-than-normal intensity.  "Onyx?"

       "He'll be up shortly."  The moment she finished speaking, a loud chuckle interrupted the conversation, such as it was.  All eyes turned toward the floor, just in time to see J'Onn phase through the layers of titanium and shoot through the edge of Green Lantern's chair - and consequently, through the edge of Green Lantern - and vanish into the ceiling.  Dead silence reigned for a moment, only to be broken by Batman.

            "Onyx?"

            "Yes, Bruce?"

            "Are you responsible for this?"

            "Uhh…"

      "Don't tell me you spiked his coffee again."

      "It was in retaliation for a very cruel prank..."

      "Unacceptable!"

      "Nobody asked you, Batfreak!"

      "It's a joke between friends, Bruce, lighten up..."

      While the argument continued behind them, John and Shayera grinned at one another across the table.  

      "You were right about one thing, Shayera."

      "What's that, John?"

      "It was nice not to have the uniforms between us."

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Shall I continue? 


	2. The Riots of K’Zaris

Disclaimer:  See Chapter 1.

Author's Notes:  I want to thank each of my reviewers; Aura Starfire, Artemis Hawk, Lindsay, MegMeg, shondie, Tracey Claybon, and Lynxie – for supporting my work in this story.  I hope you enjoy this second chapter!

Onyx: Brilliant, Sarah. Very eloquent.  Can we get on with this already?

Sarah: (points to Onyx) That's my cranky muse.  She's the one that comes up with all these ideas, and it's my job to put them on paper. So to speak. 

Onyx:  Ha ha ha, very funny… Are you interviewing the characters at the end of the chapter?

Sarah:  Um, no actually, I'm starting that next chapter, I hope.  Anyways, they aren't gonna want to talk to me after what you made me write in this chapter.

Onyx:  Don't give it away!

Sarah:  I didn't.  And if you try to kill me, or anyone else, I'll change the account so it's in my name instead. 

Onyx: (rolls eyes) Idle threat.  If you do that, I'll quit. 

Sarah:  Yeah, right.  Look, my dear Muse, let's finish this later, OK?  These good people didn't come in here to watch us argue.  

Onyx:  Right.  Ladies and gentlemen, enjoy!

**HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT**

Chapter Two

            "…and halfway across the galaxy for _what_, exactly?  This isn't even your sector of space, why are they calling you?  And why do you need me to help you with this?  I mean, those two can duplicate my powers and - "

            "Flash, you complain more than any man I have ever known in my entire life!"  Onyx's voice cut sharply across the passenger compartment of the Javelin-7, causing John Stewart to stifle a grin.  Although Onyx was relatively young, she had a fair idea of men's level of complaints, and John had to agree with her.  When unsatisfied, Wally West could become exceptionally vocal. 

            "I'm just saying that there was absolutely no point in dragging me along on this mission when J'Onn and Onyx can duplicate my powers exactly if they want to.  Hawkgirl is a better fighter than I am.  And you have that ring.  Why do you need me?"

            "I selected each person here to perform a specific duty.  I have a task in mind for you that J'Onn and Onyx cannot perform in your place.  I spent years in the Marines doing things like this, now would you shut up and trust me?"

            "I trust it's something like you want him to flirt with the K'Zarian Prime Minister?"  Onyx's comment, tossed idly over her shoulder as her eyes were still on the chessboard before her, was only just loud enough to be overheard.  John snorted in laughter, and Flash huffed in annoyance. 

            "K'Zarians are ugly.  I don't want to flirt with a K'Zarian.  Even if it _is_ the Prime Minister."

            "Flash, I'm going out on a limb here, but are you missing a date for this mission?"  Onyx asked, even as she stared at the chessboard settled between herself and J'Onn.   Frowning in frustration, she shifted one of her knights. 

            "I'm actually missing three.  How did you know?"

            Onyx turned her head slightly, enough to see him out of the corner of one green eye.  "I've heard quieter banshees."

            "How can you hear something that isn't real?"

            Ignoring them entirely, J'Onn calmly shifted his bishop. "Checkmate." 

            Onyx blinked twice, then reverted her attention to the board that lay between them.  "Damn!"  Looking irked, she promptly changed the chessboard back into her left arm. 

            "Lose again, Onyx?"  Green Lantern didn't even bother to turn around in his seat.

            "It's hardly my fault, John.  I can't be expected to win against someone with an IQ of eight hundred and something."

            Hawkgirl, settled in the front seat next to John, glanced back at the two telepaths in surprise.  "J'Onn, your IQ isn't really over eight hundred, is it?"

            "Four hundred and thirty-six," came the somewhat absent reply. 

            "He still outranks me by two hundred and eighty four points."

            "You have a one-hundred and fifty-two point IQ?" Flash turned to stare at her in surprise.

            "Yes.  What's yours, your shoe size?"

            "One thirteen.  My feet aren't that big," Flash grumbled back, then abandoned his seat and moved to the back to coerce Onyx into forming and playing a game of checkers.

            It took another sixteen hours for the craft to enter the system where their target planet, a red-hued sphere bearing a surprising resemblance to the Milky Way's Mars, made its home.  Orbiting an aging red sun, the planet looked remote and barren.  Sadly, that was no longer far from the truth. 

            "Almost two million years ago, K'Zaris was an Earth-like planet," John Stewart began, keying in the autopilot sequence before turning to face the small group assembled in the craft behind him.  "The inhabitants were humanoid but reptilian, their society and technology similar to that of Earth in the late nineteen eighties.  However, there was little peace on the planet.  Two factions were forming, one fiercely pro-technology, the others strictly against it.  After a meltdown at a nuclear plant killed almost three thousand people and left the surrounding area uninhabitable, the two factions divided further.  The pro-tech group wanted to increase research to prevent such a thing from happening again.  The anti-tech group was in favor of abandoning all attempts at nuclear power and returning to safer methods of generating power.  The debate continued for a hundred years."

            "What happened then?"  Flash sat forward further in his seat, anticipating the continuation of the history eagerly – a bit too eagerly.  Having been perched on the edge of his chair in the first place, this move forced him too far forward, and he toppled out and onto the floor.  Helped in part, no doubt, by the gentle telekinetic nudge he received from Onyx, who sat back a bit further in her own seat and hid a smirk behind her hand.  John shot her a warning glance and waited courteously until Wally had gotten back into his seat before continuing.

            "At that point, the citizens of K'Zaris had developed that allowed space travel.  The secondary planet of the system, K'Tanis, was, although a great deal colder than K'Zaris, able to support life.  The anti-tech group, which totaled nearly a third of the population, was offered the choice.  Cope with the technology, or leave."

            "Hard choice," came Onyx's voice, surprisingly soft in the suddenly echoing silence of the Javelin.  "Leave behind everything you've ever known to start over, start with nothing.  That's a lot to go through for an ideal."

            "It requires faith."  J'Onn added, the deep timbre of his voice overpowering the whispered echoes of Onyx's own. 

            "Yeah, well, only about half the anti-tech group had that kind of faith.  That half that was willing up and left, taking with them the equipment they would need to start 'clean' power generating facilities, set up a government, and begin keeping records of both worlds. 

            "The remaining half stayed on K'Zaris.  It took another two centuries before the descendents of the original anti-tech group began to feel resentful.  They attacked the descendents of the pro-tech group, and started a global war."

            "Let me guess," Flash murmured cryptically.  "Nuclear war, great loss of life, and the anti-tech group took over the planet after the war was done."

            "'Great loss of life' doesn't begin to cover it.   After the war was over, only two thousand members of the species were left alive."

            The silence from before fell again, this time ringing in the cabin of the sleek ship.  Onyx's face had gone chalk-white under her black mask, Flash's face registered a combination of humiliation and horror, and Shayera's soft, horrified gasp was the only sound to be heard.

            "The majority of the members of the species, either died from the initial explosion or the radiation.  Of those that survived the war, many were starved to death because of contaminated food stores."

            "That still doesn't explain how the rest survived."  Shayera, speaking up for the first time, was as sharp-voiced as ever, her black eyes unemotional behind her helmet.

            "The survivors lived in remote areas outside of the bombed areas.  High on the mountains, mostly.  They came down from the mountain after the war was long over, took over the planet."

            "Look, that's all very well and good, but that doesn't explain why we're flying to a planet light-years from home inhabited by lizards."  Hawkgirl, impatient with the extended confinement, rose from her seat and walked to the end of the compartment before turning back, her shoulders tight with exasperation. 

            "After the survivors gained enough technological expertise to make contact with the secondary planet of the system, the records of the old K'Zaris were transferred.  They were able to see what happened to the old populous of the planet.  Able to see that they had been destroyed by war.  And now, the issue begins all over again.  One group is fiercely against the new power-generating technology, the second group firmly in favor of it.  The central city is unveiling a new power-generating facility, using a high-risk new technology.

            "The anti-tech riots started last year, when the new plant was announced.  The unveiling is next week, and the riots are becoming especially violent.  The capital building was bombed, and twelve plant workers have been wounded or killed by the anti-tech protesters."

            Four hours later, the sleek silver craft slowly descended to the surface of the planet K'Zaris.  The Prime Minister, an unusually tall representative of her race – standing at equal height to Hawkgirl's five foot five inches – raced forward to meet them. 

            "I cannot thank you enough for coming sss-sso ss-swiftly after ress-cieving my call," she murmured as she drew closer, much to Flash's dismay.  The snakelike species' accent came through most clearly in the hissing of her sibilants.  He took a half-step backward as the Prime Minister approached, discreetly dodging behind J'Onn's powerful frame. 

            "It is the sworn duty of the Lantern Corps and the Justice League to help those in trouble," John answered quickly.  "What is the current situation?"

            "The riots-ss that we originally called you for have continued ss-ceaseless-ssly.  They are burning everything their torches-ss will touch.  The numbers of people in the mob has grown to nearly one million.  I fear that innocents-ss are becoming ss-swept up in the crowds-ss.  They need to be contained before more of our people can be hurt."

            "This is your mission, Lantern," rumbled J'Onn.  Although his words were directed to Lantern, his gaze strayed to Onyx.  She returned his gaze for a moment, then shook her head violently.  J'Onn sighed inaudibly and looked back to John.  "What do you wish us to do?"

            "The crowds in the central district of the city are the only concern.  We need to contain them.  Once we do, the other groups will collapse in on themselves.  Unfortunately, the central  group has become exceptionally violent, and they are very close to breeching the wall around the central power supply chamber.  We need to contain them, before they breech that wall, and with minimal risk to ourselves and all innocent bystanders.  We have at our disposal the Royal K'Zarian Guard, and the K'Zarian Regional Law Enforcement.  They can offer us sheer manpower and a variety of light weaponry and restraining equipment.

            "In order for this to work, we have to keep communication lines open.  That means you two," he nodded to J'Onn and Onyx, "acting like radio towers.  All of our telepathic transmissions have to go through you."  The pair nodded slightly, and John continued.  "J'Onn, you'll be with Hawkgirl and I doing strifing runs from the air in order to drive the front line back.  Flash, your job will be to force the mob into the smallest possible space.  The tighter packed they are, the easier they are to contain.  Onyx, you will be pushing the front line back from the ground.  You'll want a powerful form.  Now…"  Raising his right hand, he willed his ring to project an image of the city's layout into the air between them.  Tightening his concentration, he focused the image in on the portion were the mob lay.  "The front line of the mob is here.  The power chamber is this building…"

            It took another three minutes to brief everyone.  By the time all of the city's enforcement units and the other members of the Justice League had been briefed, organized, and moved to the scene, the situation had degraded severely… 

            "By the Seven Hells!"  Shayera banked sharply to her left, avoiding by inches the bottle of flaming fuel that one of the rioters had hurled at her.  Another man shouldered a laser rifle, aiming with the confidence that only practice can bring.  Before he could fire, however, a whiplash of emerald fury cut through the weapon.  When he looked away from his target – Hawkgirl – and toward the source of the bolt - Green Lantern – he was immediately struck from the side by a solid wall of fast-moving, black-coated flesh.  The sleek, enormous black unicorn looked up towards Lantern, its green eyes flashing sharply, reflecting the light of the planet's ancient red sun.

            'Nice tackle, Onyx,' John offered, telepathically.  Co-ordinate with Flash and push them back as far as you can.

            'On your orders, sir,' came the response, and the unicorn leaped out of the crowd, landing just beyond the front lines, and began rearing and striking out, driving the front line back and away from her sharp hooves.    From above, J'Onn swooped down, his arms extended to form long, black, whip-like tentacles, which he snapped at the ground at the feet of the people in the front lines.  As he shot up and away, twisting his body in and out around the bolts of laser fire, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl flew down and in, charging the rioters from the air.  Hawkgirl's crackling mace swung, bare centimeters from the noses of three men in front.  John's own energy bolts lanced the ground, forcing the men and women in the furious crowd back, further and further away from the walls of the power supply building.  Even as they moved, a brilliant crimson streak circled them, moving in swift circles around the mob, forcing the people together in a tighter and tighter circle.  Above him, J'Onn watched the progress of the defense force's vehicles moving in.  Dozens of tanks, accompanied by light troop-carrier trucks with soldiers and heavy barricades, were speeding through the city's empty streets.  It was the Martian's job to judge when Flash had to move in order to escape entrapment with the rioters.  It did not take long.

            'Flash!  Get out of the way, now!'

            'Right!'  The red-clad human made an abrupt turn, sending him rocketing away from the confused crowd and into a clear zone.

            As soon as Flash bolted away, the enforcement officers raced forward with their vehicles.  Although they had never performed maneuvers of the like before, they smoothly surrounded the crowd in an ever-tightening circle, pulling the vehicles together without gaps, allowing the troop-carriers to pull in behind them.  It took less than ten minutes all told before the tanks had been replaced with the weighty barriers and dozens of guards bearing energy blasters.    
            Slowly, the members of the Justice League filtered in from their various places surrounding the main square of the central city.  Flash moved in at a slow walk, choosing to conserve his remaining energy.  J'Onn, Lantern, and Hawkgirl slowly descended from their airy heights to settle again on the ground.  Resuming her human form, Onyx quietly joined them in the square, stumbling slightly as she walked. 

            No sooner had the five gathered together than they were inundated with cheering K'Zarians, all jostling to get a glimpse, or a touch, of the heroes that had contained the riot with so little effort.  So intent were they that only the members of the Justice League noticed a group of four renegades racing from their hiding place in an ally and sprinting toward the power plant, dragging a heavy black missile launcher with them.

            "Stop them!  Someone stop them!"  Onyx, to weak to attempt morphing again, lunged against the alien hands that unintentionally restrained her.  Despite her cries, nobody paid her any heed, and the aliens continued cheering them.

            "Sit tight," Shayera snapped at her.  "I'll deal with them."  So saying, she spread her wings, shook off the grasping aliens, and glided skyward, her mace already sparking to life in her hand. 

            "Shayera!"  John's shout rang out behind her, but to no avail.  His voice was lost in the clamor of alien cheers.  "Shayera, _wait_!  Shayera!!" 

            But it was too late.  She was already out of hearing range.  Even J'Onn and Onyx's attempts to summon her telepathically were lost in the tumultuous waves of alien thoughts.  Held down by dozens of clasping alien hands, it was all the four could do to watch helplessly as the four renegades reached the power center.  And they could only shield their eyes as they blaze of the power center's explosion swallowed the renegades, and Shayera's distant form, whole.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Time Trials

Author's Note: Wahoo! Chapter three! (dodges rotten fruit and various other projectiles) Eeek! Don't hurt me! I'm sorry for the delay!

(Hawkgirl and Green Lantern are standing off to the side, laughing at her, while Onyx lounges casually against a doorframe, looking bored)

HG: You should know better than to try to kill me and then disappear for over a year!

S: I'm sorry! Sorry sorry sorry! (pulls a shield out of nowhere to absorb the impacts of the projectiles)

Onyx: Perhaps, my young light, it would be best if you continued with the story now, since that is what these good readers are here for?

S: Right! But one note: Onyx the superhero-character is referred to as Unica from here on. She isn't the same person as my muse, and people were getting confused on that. And who's doing my disclaimer?

(Yami Bakura races by, holding a sign with 'Disclaimer see Chapter One' written on it)

S: Bakura! You're in the wrong fanfiction! (races off after him)

Onyx: Oh, and she doesn't own Buffy, either. (follows her light)

(GL and HG stare at each other for a moment before starting the chapter)

**HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT**

**CHAPTER THREE**

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. _

A shake of his head rattled the echo of the sound away, but the headache lingered. _Beep. Beep. Beep. _For two months now, the members of the Justice League had been taking turns listening to that infernal beeping. No matter how many times they recalibrated the sound matrix of the beeper, it still managed to bounce up the ear canal and ricochet around the inside of the skull like an angry hornet. A soft sigh escaped weary lips as dark eyes swiveled to look toward the clock on the wall. Three minutes until ten o'clock. Quietly rising from his seat, he straightened his cloak and began to walk around the room, stretching the cramps out of his legs.

_'The beeping wouldn't be so bad,' he _reflected wearily as he gathered up the book he'd been reading_, 'if it would vary at all.' _

Yet for two months, the beeping that monitored Shayera's heart rate had remained completely unchanged. Bracing himself, he turned to gaze across the hospital bay to the far bed, where Shayera lay silently under the crisp white sheets. Without her helmet and clad in a white cotton gown, her wings and hair shining in the lights, she looked like a sleeping angel. He stifled a laugh at the thought. Anyone who had seen Shayera fight would know she was anything but an angel. She was at heart a warrior – but now, lying still under those harsh white lights, she was fighting the greatest battle she had ever engaged in. It was a battle for her very life.

The sound of the door opening snapped Superman from his reverie. It was ten o'clock already, and Green Lantern had just strode through the door, silent and expressionless. The day's log was carried in his right hand, a cup of coffee in his left. He acknowledged Superman with a curt nod before walking past him, pulling his chair up by Shayera's bedside, and sitting next to her.

Every night, John Stewart's ritual was the same. He entered the hospital bay at ten precisely carrying a cup of coffee and the day's log. He would acknowledge the person coming off watch and be at Shayera's side before the last watch was halfway out the door – except on nights when the Flash was on watch, of course. Then John had barely come two steps in before the red-clad hero dashed out, made nervous and agitated by the beep-broken silence. John would, regardless, spend every night from ten at night to six in the morning at Shayera's side, with her slender hand clasped in his and the monitor switched to auto.

Knowing all of this, but verbalizing none, Superman quietly slipped out the door. He was entirely ready to return to his own quarters for the night. The day had been far too long for his taste. Passing the recreation room, he found Unica and Flash, both fast asleep in front of a Buffy rerun on the television. He shook both of them awake, gently, and sent them to bed before making his way back to his own quarters and collapsing face first into his pillow, instantly asleep.

Every member of the team was battling extreme exhaustion now. As Diana had pointed out the other day, they had lost not one team member, but two. Green Lantern could hardly be expected to perform his duties with Hawkgirl lying nearly lifeless in the medical bay.

Two mornings later, Unica stifled a wide yawn as Batman shouldered past her, making his way to the overworked coffeepot. He had been on duty for the past sixteen hours, and was returning planet side within the hour to resume his post at Wayne Enterprises, from which he had been conspicuously absent of late. Turning her head to glare at the man, she blinked twice and snorted inelegantly into her tea.

"I wouldn't suggest that to John if I were you."

Batman turned a glare of his own on her. "Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'sanctity of the mind'?"

She shrugged, unapologetic. "You were projecting."

There was a moment of tense silence between them before she spoke again. "She might still recover."

"And she might remain in a coma indefinitely." Neither one voiced the grimmer option that had been lingering on the edge of both minds.

Scowling, Unica pulled herself up a few inches and sat down on the countertop, staring into her tea mug as she spoke. "Face it, Bruce," she began, deliberately using his given name to throw him off, "neither of us know what a Thanagarian's systems are capable of. She could wake up tomorrow, she could wake up never. The point is, _we don't know!!!_ All of my medical training is human and yours barely goes beyond that."

"I know," Batman answered simply, taking a mouthful of his coffee. His next words came directly into her mind from his. 'It was just a thought.'

S: Okay folks, I'm sorry for the shortness of the chapter, but it's better than nothing, right? And for those of you that don't know what Batman's 'thought' is, take a wild guess, or wait until the next chapter. With any luck, that one will be out after a much shorter time span than this one.


	4. Descisions Made

S: Excellent!  Reviews are a lovely thing….  (dances around)  I love you all!!!!

Onyx: (stares) Psycho.

S: Aren't I just???

Onyx:  Yet she seems happy about that.

S: I am, I am….  Oy, disclaimer-peoples!!

(A Kuriboh goes flying past carrying a sign that reads 'Disclaimer See Chapter 1' and being chased by Yami Bakura)

S:  You're still in the wrong story!  Get back to Lives to Live!!!  (chases them back to the other story)

Onyx: (rolls her eyes)  Rolling the story now….

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**HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

'Unica, J'Onn.  Contact the others.  I want a meeting, now.'  Superman's telepathic 'voice' slid easily into the minds of the two telepaths, transferred from there to the minds of the others.  Flash, close to falling asleep from just getting off the graveyard shift, was the only one to protest.

            'Superman said NOW, Flash!' both of the telepaths informed him, instantly stifling his complaints. 

            It took less than five minutes for the members of the Justice League to file into the meeting room.  Superman was standing at the head of the table, his face drawn tight by exhaustion and overwork.  The faint motion of air from the opening and closing of the doors made his red cape billow slightly, making a mockery of old images of his glory.  Green Lantern was the first one in, followed almost immediately by Diana.  Flash dragged in a moment behind them, looking pale.  Batman, being unable to join in person, flickered into view on the wall monitor.  Once everyone was seated, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room.

            "This can't go on."

            All eyes, surprise showing, turned towards J'Onn.  It was plenty rare enough for the Martian to have the first word, but rarer still for him to express any emotion – such as the combined irritation and pain that showed now. 

            Onyx growled softly, her frustration showing clearly.  "For the umpteenth time, J'Onn, we don't know what she's capable of!  She could wake up five minutes from now!"

            "If she was going to do that, don't you think she would have done it already?"  Rubbing his eyes, Flash tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the fact that he was near tears.

            "We cannot abandon our teammate in her time of need."  Diana, resolute, folded her arms across her chest.

            "In need of what?"  Flash's voice rang out in irritation.  "She's in a goddamned coma!"

            "I'm with Diana.  We don't abandon her."

            "Unica, you have been here only six months.  You cannot know how we do things."  Superman, beyond weary, slumped in his chair and stared at her out of hollowed eyes.

            "I know you don't give up!"  Leaping to her feet, the slammed her fists down on the table, only to be dragged back down into her seat by J'Onn, although John and Diana had followed her example in standing and had begun to shout.

            "Control yourselves.  All of you."  J'Onn's deep voice rang unusually strong, cutting through the din in the room.  Almost immediately, all within the room silenced, and Diana slid silently back into her seat.  John, however, remained on his feet, radiating fury.

            "I cannot believe that so many of you would turn on her!  Hawkgirl has saved all of your lives more times than I can count," this addressed to Superman, Batman and Flash, "and now you're just going to let her die?!"

            "It's not like that, GL!"  Flash, looking horrified, spoke up.  "It's just… well, we've tried everything we can and nothing seems to be helping.  Hope fades, buddy."

            "Every day Hawkgirl spends in a coma reduces her possibility of survival."  This, naturally, came from Batman, who seemed to be checking something off the monitor screen. 

            "Anyone who watches soap operas can tell you that," Onyx shot back, her contempt obvious.  "There is still a reasonable chance that she might pull through."

            "Is it worth leaving her as good as dead for a 'reasonable chance'?"  Batman retorted, returning to the center of the screen and glaring fiercely at the young woman.

            " "She is not dead!" " Onyx and Green Lantern spoke together, their voices ringing in a bizarre and mismatched chorus. They exchanged a brief glance before Onyx quickly sat down, deferring to the older hero.

            "You guys have given this some thought," John began, every word chosen with obvious care.  "I can't blame you for your thoughts.  If I were in your position, I would probably consider it, too.  But while I'm considering your position, I'd like you to consider mine."

            "John, listen to us for a moment."  Batman's interruption was clearly unwanted, but tolerated nonetheless.  "We are trying to consider everyone's positions and opinions in this matter.  That includes Hawkgirl's.  We must take into consideration what quality of life she would have if no action is taken."

            "You knew her better than any of us, John.  You definitely know that she would never have allowed things to progress this far had it been her choice."  Superman's voice, already carrying a biting edge, did nothing to lessen the harshness of his words. 

            "She wanted to go out fighting."  The words, barely above a whisper, turned every eye in the room back to Green Lantern.  Staring intently at his ring, he slumped back into his seat, bowing his head to hide his face.  It was not enough, though, to stop the others from seeing the glittering tracks on his cheeks, or hearing the pain in his voice.

            "She wanted to go out fighting, die a heroic death in some great battle.  That's what she told me.  Never to live until she was too old or too inefficient to fight.  All I'm trying to do is to give her a chance at that, dying in a battle.  Because if she goes like this - " one hand waved vaguely towards the medical bay – "she has no chance to die how she wants to die.  She deserves better than this, some death under bleached sheets and hard lights.  Let her die how she wants, with blood and pain and power.  That was all she ever wanted."

            Silence reigned around the table for a long moment until it was broken by J'Onn's again-quiet voice.  "We cannot leave her in a coma indefinitely, Lantern.  She deserves better than that as well."  The words seemed to echo softly in the otherwise silent room, broken only by the faint whisper of breathing.

            "Give her two more weeks."  All eyes turned towards the monitor where Batman's face was displayed.  He gazed back at them, seeming supremely unconcerned.  "Give her two more weeks.  If she has made no sign of improvement by the end of that time period, than we disconnect life support and allow her a peaceful death.  I know it's not what she wanted," he added, seeing Lantern make to rise from his seat again, "but under the circumstances, I think it's the best thing we can offer her."

            What little color had been in Superman's face drained from it, and Onyx blinked rapidly before pressing the heels of her hands forcefully into her eyes.  Flash and Diana bowed their heads, seemingly between relief and exhaustion.  Slowly, as though the single movement was the hardest of his entire life, John Stewart nodded. 

            "Two weeks it is."

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S: Yes, I know, I am evil.  Actually, Onyx is the evil one…

Onyx: (waves)

S:  And she's the Muse.  However, I'm the Author, so I do have some control over what goes into my work…  (grins slightly)  Review, peoples!  The faster you review, the faster I type! 

Hawkgirl: And the faster I get out of that damnable hospital wing.

GL: (mumbles something under his breath about chains of disasters)

Onyx: That's the superhero business, John.  Deal with it.  Look at the bright side, neither of you are dead.

S: PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!


	5. Breaking Point

(Kuriboh sails past carrying his 'Disclaimer See Chapter 1' sign)

S: HEY!  You're supposed to wait for your cue, you flying kiwi!

Kuriboh: (indignant squeal and explodes in her face, leaving her blinking through a face full of soot while the small monster reforms, laughing)

S: (swears at him in every language she can think of, which isn't really all that many, although there's a bit of Japanese, Latin, and Elvish)

Onyx: (rolls her eyes repeatedly) For the people who reviewed the previous chapter, many thanks to you.  **Dreamcatcher89**, thanks again for the tip, most helpful.  **Hawkgal**, we're being far crueler to the characters than we are to you, and we said two reviews, not weeks.  **Desert Hawk, X Moonchick**, is this fast enough for you?  And **girl-interrupted33**, thanks.  We try not to be predictable, although admittedly this chapter does have its predictable elements. 

S: (wipes soot off her face and glares at the Kuriboh) That's it!  I'm using you as a sacrifice in my next duel. 

Kuriboh:  (squeals indignantly and hides behind the Celtic Guardian)

Onyx:  Rolling story.

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**HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT**

**CHAPTER FIVE**

            _'Nearly three months after Hawkgirl stopped making appearances in her adopted home of Midway City, a Justice League source has released information that the winged heroine was critically injured in a mission just over two months ago.  While the source declined to elaborate on the severity of the injuries, the fact that they have kept someone as powerful as Hawkgirl out of commission for this long speaks volumes.  This is Snapper Carr reporting.  Now, back to our studios.'_

Scowling, Green Lantern reached forward and slapped the monitor off before turning to glare at the people behind him. 

            "Wasn't me!" Flash protested immediately, raising his hands defensively.  Behind him, Wonder Woman shook her head.  Unica stood blank-eyed for a moment before speaking up. 

            "No, I didn't, and no, I don't."

            "Don't what?"  Flash asked, looking confused.

            "Know who did."

            "Who said you did?"  This time, it was Green Lantern that spoke up.

            "J'Onn, he was listening to the report through my ears."

            "Gotta be handy, having two sets of ears."  Flash shook his head slightly.  "Wait, does he even have ears?"

            "Can we get back to the point?"

            "There was a point, GL?"

            "Who leaked Hawkgirl's status to the press?"

            "I did."  The doors, sliding near-soundlessly open to admit Superman, left his cape billowing wildly in the shifting air.  His eyes were deeply shadowed and it didn't take an expert to see how exhausted he was.

            "What the Hell for?!"  Unica, young and brazen enough not to care about getting into Superman's face, lunged forward, her eyes snapping fire.

            "I was asked a question.  I answered it.  That lead to more questions."  
            "Which lead to you telling the world that Hawkgirl is lying in our infirmary wounded and nearly – "  Although he had started the sentence at a shout, Green Lantern's voice dropped to barely a whisper as he choked on the last word.

            "John, I never meant to – " 

            But Superman was not allowed to finish, interrupted by John's ring flaring to life on his hand.  Without looking back, the Green Lantern leapt from his feet and flew out the door. 

After a moment of tense silence, Unica moved forward and slammed her boot heel down on top of Superman's foot before storming out the door behind John.  Wonder Woman followed her, silently, not once meeting Superman's wide eyes.

            Disbelieving, the Man of Steel turned to the Flash.  His hopes were crushed, however, when the scarlet-clad hero muttered a soft, "sorry, Supes," and dashed out the door as well, leaving Superman standing alone.

============================================

            It was nearly four hours later when Unica found John sitting behind a pile of crates in the lowest storage bay, staring resolutely at the blank wall before him.  Although tempted to praise him for learning to block his mental signal, she said nothing, but rather sat down beside him and remained silent until he spoke. 

            "Will she make it?"  The question, although directed to the wall, was clearly addressed to the girl beside him.

            "I'm not a psychic, John.  I don't know, and my cards won't tell me.  But over the years, I've learned to follow my gut instinct."

            "And?"

            "And it says things are going to work out all right."

            "Better than nothing, I guess."  Scrubbing the back of his hand across his eyes, he stood up, extending his hand to the young woman.  She accepted it, rising to her feet with regal grace. 

            "Will you be all right, John?  If this doesn't pull off?" 

            He pursed his lips for a long moment, thinking before he answered.   "As long as we've got her hooked up to those machines, there's still a lingering possibility that she'll come back.  But the others are right.  It's not fair, leaving her like that.  It's not…" his voice broke slightly, but he regained himself and continued.  "It's not what she would have wanted."

            Unica opened her mouth to reply, but J'Onn's voice, echoing through both their heads, preempted her. 

            _'Lantern, everyone, come to the medical bay, quickly!'_

            Even in the near-toneless telepathic voice, there was shock and a trace of something else, something very different…

            Unica and John barely exchanged glances before bolting towards the elevator.

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_            Light.  Blinding, painful in its brightness, and eyes closed tightly against it.  Noise was there, too, a jumble of it, but slowly breaking down into voices that could be recognized, identified, comprehended.  _

"…monitors, get a vial of adrenaline…"

            "Watch her heart rate, it's fluctuating."

            "…call Lantern yet?"

            _Lantern?__  Grab that thought, seize it, keep ahold of it.  That thought meant comfort, strength to be had.  That thought was an anchor, a much-needed one._

"He's on his way; Unica found him a few minutes ago."

            _That voice was familiar, deep and strange, alien tones against the other voices.  It came with crimson eyes…_

"What do you mean, stuck?  Who was on maint – oops.  My bad."

            _That voice was familiar too.  It came with a color, scarlet, a shade brighter than fresh blood, and an emotion, frustration.  A great deal of it.  _

"Flash!"

            "I swear, I forgo – OW!!"

_            That was it.  Flash.  The fastest man alive.  The voice yelling at him belonged to Diana, tall and dark-haired, an Amazon princess.  And that sound, in the background behind their voices, was the sound of a door opening.  But what door?_

"Shayera?"

            _A scuffling of footsteps and a new voice in the background, a young woman's this time, snapping for someone to turn the lights off._

"Shayera?"

            _That was Lantern, the comfortable thought from before, a warm and deep voice.  She could remember hearing it before, from beyond the darkness, his voice was there._

"Lan..tern?"  Her voice was a weak rasp, sounding nothing like her own strong tones.  How long had she been in the darkness?  Lantern had told her, but she couldn't remember. 

            "Shayera!"  One of her hands became warm, surrounded by a strong grasp.  When she risked opening one eye, no light stabbed into it, and she cautiously opened the other.  At first, she saw only fog, but Lantern's dark face slowly swam into view.

            "Shayera?"

            She didn't care that her voice was weak and raspy, or that her smile looked like a grimace, being so forced and still pain-riddled.  All she cared about was croaking out the first words that came to her mind.  "Hey honey.  I'm home."

=================================================

S: (ducks random projectiles) I know it's a short chapter, but hey, she's awake!  It's a crucial turning point!  (ducks a cabbage)  Oh, come on!  I hate cabbage!  Can't you people throw lettuce instead?  Or Barq's?  I love Barq's!  It is the most excellent root beer on the face of the plan – (ducks a tomato) COOL IT!

Onyx:  (quickly hides the basket of random vegetables)

S: ONYX!!!!!  (chases)

Onyx:  Gah!  Hikaris gone wild!  (runs)


	6. Holding On

S: Okay, sorry for the delay folks, I'm afraid that Real Life – I hate it, but it's still there – has decided to interfere again and give me the flu. Flu means no computer b/c the computer is waaaaaaay out here, and bed, where I'm supposed to be, is waaaaaay over there!

Onyx: And you're rambling. Again.

S: Right. Sorry. Okays, for the reviewer-peoples – LOVE YOU GUYS - in any case, here. **Dreamcatcher89**, I don't let people do anonymous reviews because that's my anti-flame measure. And there's a note in my profile to that effect. **DesertHawk**, it isn't the end, trust me. Not by a long shot. **Angelic Temptress, X Moonchick, Christieanne-Anna, Weapon X 61, girl-interrupted 33**, thanks, here's the next chapter! **DarkPyroGirl**, I'm buying Starcrossd, a JL movie, as soon as I find it, so I'll let you watch it and maybe figure out where all of these people are coming from. **RockieRoade** – WOW! (passes out) Nobody's ever joined just for me! **Animelover8831**, Onyx doesn't 'work' for anyone, really. She's my Yami – that's kind of Yu-Gi-Oh thing… and my muse. And Yamis are inherently evil because they're dark spirits. As for the timeline, this is set before Starcrossed. Somewhere after War World, but it went AU a while after that. See, I never saw most of Season Two, so most of this is going off of the S. 1 cannon.

(Kuriboh randomly goes sailing past with the Disclaimer See Ch. 1 sign)

S: (facefaults) He's a Yu-Gi-Oh thing, too. So is –

Yami Bakura: Miserable furball! Get back here!

S: So is Yami Bakura. (chases) Don't kill him, Bakura, I called it first!

Onyx: (rolls eyes) Rolling chapter.

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**HAWK'S NIGHT, LANTERN'S LIGHT**

**CHAPTER SIX**

It had been nearly half an hour since Shayera awoke, and in that time, she had been hugged, kissed, congratulated, and scolded for her actions more time than she could count. After spending that long surrounded by her well meaning, but somewhat smothering, friends, she declared herself to tired to continue.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but I'm still tired. Can we finish this later, please?"

J'Onn and Unica took pity on her and herded everyone, excluding John, from the room. This accomplished, the two shape shifters took their leave as well, albeit a bit less forcefully. Unica paused, briefly, but the door, casting a gentle smile back at the Thanagarian.

"Welcome back, Shayera." And with that, she slipped out as well, closing the door softly behind her, leaving John and Shayera alone.

John turned back to Shayera with a smile. "Liar."

"What?"

Green Lantern smirked at her. "Whenever you get really tired, your eyes start to twitch."

"Seven Hells, Lantern!" Shayera burst out. "I wasn't expecting that kind of reception. Can you blame me for begging off?" Her voice cracked slightly as she spoke, and John was quick to retrieve a glass of water from the nightstand.

"Not really." Slipping an arm behind her back, he gently lifted her into a sitting position and raised the glass of water to her lips. She considered protesting, but realized she didn't even have the strength to hold the glass. For her own reassurance more than his, though, she did lift her hands and rest them on the sides of the glass, in front of his hand.

When she was finished, John set the glass aside again and turned back to study the woman he still held against his arm. The water had left her lips glistening, and John forced down his desire at the sight.

"You were out for a long time," he said softly. "We were afraid we lost you."

Shayera blinked slightly, turning her head to face him. "You knew I wasn't lost, though. You came to me every night."  
"You remember that?" Now it was his voice that was cracking, she noticed, and grinned in amusement.

"Yes, Lantern, I remember that. I looked forward to hearing you each and every night," she added, surrendering to the weariness in her neck and letting her head drop back. "You have a wonderful voice."

Although she couldn't see it, she could feel the heat of his blush as it spread down his arms. "I felt that," she muttered, closing her eyes as she felt her eyelids start to twitch. "So embarrassed from a simple compliment, Lantern? You're acting like a schoolboy with your first crush."

An indignant snort greeted that comment, and John leaned forward until his lips brushed her ear. "You're hardly my first crush, Shy," he murmured, his hot breath whispering across her cheek.

"So what am I then, your fourth, fifth?"

He didn't answer, just smiled faintly and brushed a soft kiss against the tip of her ear. "Go back to sleep, Shy. You still need rest." So saying, he lowered her back to her pillows and rose slowly, clearly preparing to leave.

"John, wait!"

When he turned back to her, Shayera found it was her turn to blush. "Would you… stay with me? For one more night?" She might have imagined it, but she could have sworn his face brightened. Seeing him more towards his chair again, she shook her head. "No, not there… Your voice has held me for so many nights, Lantern. Tonight would you hold me for real?"

This time, she was sure she hadn't imagined the surprise on his face, nor the delight. "Of course…. I just don't want to hurt you."

She flashed him a shadow of her old grin before rolling slowly onto her side, turning her back to him and shifting to one side of the bed. John slid in behind her, letting her rest her head on one arm. His other hand slid, dreamlike, over her the feathers of her wing. She spread her wing backwards, slowly spreading it to cover the man behind her. His fingers raked softly through the feathers, ruffling them in one direction, then smoothing them. Enjoying the sensation, she arched her wings back, pressing against his hand. There was an instant pause in his motion, pressing his warm hand against her wing.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No – no, the opposite. Keep going, please." When his stroking continued, she closed her eyes again, enjoying herself more than she had in ages.

"Did your… did Hro do this for you?" A worried note in his voice, a slightly firmer press of his hand.

"No, he didn't. My relationship with him wasn't about romance. It was a political alliance more than a relationship." A faint chuckle escaped her. "You don't have to feel threatened."

"Threatened?" His stroking resumed as it had been, a smooth and gentle movement. "Trust me, I don't feel threatened by him."

Shayera smiled faintly and allowed sleep to claim her, held gently by John Stewart's strong and comforting grasp.

Unica slipped into the room, unnoticed, at midnight to check Shayera's vital signs. Finding them strong and well, she turned to walk out again and found both of Shayera's eyes open, watching her with curiosity. Although Unica had made no noise, Shayera's senses were no less finely tuned than they had been when she was a detective on Thanagar. It was a mark of how exhausted John was that he did not sense either Shayera's awakening or Unica's presence. Casting a sheepish smile at Shayera, the girl pointed to the moniter screen.

"It's all right. He's exhausted," Shayera informed her with a whispered smile.

"It's good to have you back, Shayera. John wasn't the same without you." With that, the girl slipped out of the room, just as silently as she had entered. Her mind more at peace than it ever had been, and she fell back into a deep and restful sleep.

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S: Sorry, guys, I know it's really short, but I'm writing this on the run. See ya later… ten reviews PLEASE!!! (runs)


End file.
